“Oh, selkies have those?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“Yup.”
“So you haven’t met your fated mate yet?” I tried to keep my expression neutral as I waited for his answer, but the moment turned very still.
His tongue pressed into his cheek for a moment.
“They’re pretty rare,” he finally said. “Do witches haveanything like fated mates?”
“Some people say they’re soul mates for whatever reason. It’s controversial, so who knows?”
I reached forward to steal a bite from the container in his hand. His gaze tracked my movement, catching on my mouth as I closed my lips around it. Swallowing the bite, I made a show of leisurely licking my lips.
“You’ve got a little drool there,” I teased, reaching forward to swipe my thumb over his lip. It was the same move as my dream, and the memory of him painted with moonlight and touching me under the water made my next inhale a ragged gulp of air.
I could lean in and kiss him.
From the way his eyes fell to my lips again, he wanted it, but he was too much of a gentleman to initiate it.
My heart pounded so loudly I knew he must be able to hear it. My hand still touched his face, and magical energy ran down my arm.
Eyes on me, Caspian placed a delicate kiss on the pad of my thumb. My mouth fell open. Slowly, deliberately, his lips closed around it, pulled the digit into his mouth, and gently sucked.
“Fuck,” I gasped, pulling my hand back as soon as he released my thumb.
“You can’t just go around doing stuff like that,” I muttered breathlessly, squirming in my seat to relieve the ache between my legs.
“Sorry,” he said with a smile that showed he wasn’t the slightest bit sorry. After a stretch of silence, he said, “I just wanted you to know that whenever you’re ready, I’m ready.”
I knew better than to askready for what?
“Um, we should finish the luggage tags,” I said, my voice shaking.
“Whatever you say, little witch.”
My knees were jello as I walked back to the dining table. Caspian made quick work of closing the takeout containers and moving them to the fridge.
We worked in silence as we finished the task. I couldn’t get his salt-and-sage scent out my nose, and the ache between my legs wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this turned on, but the selkie across the table was a constant temptation.
It was impossible to get his voice out of my head.Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready.
It took the rest of the night to fold the booklets in half. My hand ached from the effort. Caspian finished far more than I did, and he didn’t complain once. As we shoved the last one aside, I groaned.
“Okay, we can stuff the tote bags tomorrow. I’m freaking tired. But thank you for your help. I’m sorry it kinda sucked.”
“I’d be happy doing anything with you,” Caspian murmured. He reached across the table and took my right hand.
Istiffened, but he gently drew my arm forward so he could cradle it in both of his. His thumbs pressed into the meat of my palm, one smoothing across the line between my thumb and fingers, and the other rubbing at my wrist.
“By the goddess,” I moaned as he pinched a pressure point between his thumb and index finger, making my entire arm tingle.
His beautiful mouth curved into that smug smirk that I grew more obsessed with as we spent more time together. My entire body pulsed with need with each beat of my heart. I needed him to either stop touching me or start touching me all over.
He continued to massage my hand, slowly working out all the ache, until I was a limp mess.
If he applied that diligence to other parts of me—fuck! I amnotgoing there. What is wrong with me?
“Thanks,” I said, my voice hoarse.
